Wikipedia founder criticises Twitter for blocking content in Turkey ahead of elections
Wales said that Wikipedia has been dealing with governmental censorship attempts for decades worldwide.
Jimmy Wales, the founder of Wikipedia, judged Twitter’s decision to block content ahead of the presidential election in Turkey in the BBC Tech Podcast. According to Wales, social media platforms should stand united against online censorship and ensure freedom of speech.
Wales said that Wikipedia has been dealing with governmental censorship attempts for decades worldwide. The Wikipedia Foundation spent over two years in courts to deter attempts for censorship by the Turkish government and was banned for three years in the country after refusing to remove content that criticised Erdogan’s regime.
Wales’ criticism comes after Twitter restricted access to certain accounts a day before Turkey’s election. In a tweet, Twitter announced that four accounts and 409 tweets were blocked as per a court order initiated by the Turkish government. The content remains accessible outside of Turkey.
Elon Musk referred to 2014 when Erdogan’s government banned Twitter after corruption allegations were shared on the platform. Musk still contended that Twitter would fight governmental orders to block content in court.
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